Last week July 15, we run an ANTI-Coal campaign to the Ministry of Energy to REJECT coal-fired power plants. Today July 22 is 7 days and we still don’t have an official response from the Ministry. We want to prompt and remind them!! Please post and share this to all MEDIA platforms (radio and tv) as well as on Social Media – Facebook and Twitter and let’s get their attention NOW!!

The punch line of most arguments by supporters of coal is that it is cheap and that most of the biggest economies of the world have thrived on coal power. Here is how to debate and win the argument on both health, environmental and economic grounds:

1. Coal is not the cheapest source of energy. We don’t know how people define ‘cheap’ but how do we compare bio-gas (human excreta), solar power and wind power which are absolutely free to coal being cheap? Most supporters of coal and dirty energy do not internalize the externalities. If they spend time to do so, they will realize that coal is very expensive in all sense of the word;

2. The fact that we believe or think that something is ‘cheaper’ doesn’t mean we should chase and pursue it. You will look at it’s future implications and consequences before you consider it because “cheaper” coal as people put it comes at a cost, very deadly and catastrophic- health wise, environmentally and economically;

3. We are very surprised people don’t see the paradox in the whole proposal by Shenzhen Energy Group (SEG) to build a 700MW coal-fired power plant in Ghana. China earlier this year started discussions on putting a price on coal (carbon) because of ‘airpocalypse’ that hospitalized more than 1,000 babies. Click here to read;

4. Life expectancy in China today has been reduced by 5.5 yrs in some 500 million people due to pollution related to coal. Click here to read;

5. Doctors in Australia in a report have agreed that “coal is a health hazard from start to finish” because of it’s health impacts costs running into $300 million annually together with 4,000 asthma cases per year. Click here to read full report;

6. According to the Health and Environment Alliance, 80,000 to 115,000 premature deaths occurred in India between 2011-2012 due to coal related pollution. Click here to read;

7. The economic impact of pollution by coal burning has been ruthless on the Chinese economy. Illness, premature death and loss of productivity is costing the country more than $100 billion a year. Click here to read;

8. The burning of 20 million tons of coal by SEG through Asogli would release 2 million tons of ashes (10% ash per ton) which are heavily contaminated solid waste that has to be disposed off eventually. In addition to this are the thousands of gallons of water that would be needed for the purification and cooling systems which consequently are discharged as heavily contaminated water. Most of these are discharged into rivers and lakes. Some of the environmental impacts of coal are explained in details here;

9. Coal plants in the US are falling at an annual rate of 7%. Coal plants are down from 633 in 2002 to 589 in 2011. The American government has now realized coal-fired plants are bad investment. Click here for details;

10. Finally, coal power is not the cheapest in the world currently. Australian wind energy is now cheaper than coal and gas. Details can be seen here.

On Monday July 15, the Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM) will go to the Ministry of Energy to reject the proposal made by a Chinese Energy Group to build a coal fired plant in Ghana. Click here to see the proposal.

We are rejecting coal power because of its harmful health and environmental impacts. Click here to see the dangerous and negative effects of coal burning.

WHERE ARE WE MEETING?

We meet in front of the National Theatre at 9am prompt. Our team member will be standing right there with a very visible paper sticker on his chest with GYEM written boldly on it. Feel free to approach him.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BRING?

You need at least 2 things:

Outfit: You can wear anything really but we recommend a white or green T-shirt or a GYEM shirt for those who have them

Sign/paper (used) placard: You should also bring along a sign/placard with a message written on it. A very good sign can be created out of an old box. Just unfold the box into a square or rectangular shape and write your own CREATIVE message. Eg. We REJECT Coal Power, No Coal in Ghana, Coal is Dirty Energy, We Demand a CLEAN Future, etc. Click here to see a photo of what someone created for one of our previous campaigns.

If you are not sure what to write, just bring your unfolded box and our team will help you out.

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE

Our mascot KwaBonsu. He will lead the campaign and you can hug him afterwards

About 30-50 young people with similar age, identity and feelings as you

WHAT WE WILL DO

Our campaigns team will explain this to you at 9:30am so please try and make it on time.